


Rebels of the Foundation

by foxysquid



Series: Blade of Marmora: School for Spies [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Adventure, Alternate Universe - School, Best Friends, Developing Relationship, Galra Empire, Intrigue, M/M, Mentioned Zarkon (Voltron), Mutual Pining, Prison, Romance, School, Spies & Secret Agents, Teen Romance, uncle kolivan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-04
Updated: 2019-03-04
Packaged: 2019-11-09 00:17:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,984
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17991269
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/foxysquid/pseuds/foxysquid
Summary: Ulaz has been biding his time at school for many decaphoebs, pretending to be an ordinary student, but he's eager to come into his own as one of the Blades of Marmora. His Uncle Kolivan insists that he avoid trouble, because he's too young to function as an active operative.This is exactly the wrong thing to tell Ulaz. Ulaz has a plan, and he's planning to include his best friend Thace. However, lately, Thace has been as much of a distraction as he is an ally...This is set in the universe ofChildren of the Empire, but is also a standalone story. It was originally published inThe Fight We Take, a Thulaz zine, which you can downloadhere.





	Rebels of the Foundation

"What do we do?" Thace asked, as he and Ulaz gazed down into the hole that had opened in the ground beneath them. From where they stood, no bottom could be seen, only darkness.

"We jump," said Ulaz. He took Thace's hand. He held it tight. There was an answering pressure from Thace—an agreement, or a promise. On the edge of emptiness, they hesitated, then leapt forward into uncertainty and open air.

***

The series of events that had led them to this leap had begun with Ulaz's uncle and Thace's promotion, phoebs ago. "I want you to be careful," Uncle Kolivan had said, gold eyes glaring down at Ulaz over the cloth that protected his mouth and nose. The red planet that was home to the Foundation for Children of the Empire wasn't naturally habitable. Galra technology had created a livable zone where the Foundation could flourish and provide a home for the orphaned and surrendered children of the empire.

"I've been careful." Ulaz tried not to be petulant. That would make him sound young. Uncle Kolivan was rarely able to make his clandestine visits to the planet's surface, and Ulaz could only use his science experiments as a cover for sneaking off the school grounds so often, so Ulaz had to take advantage of the little time given to him to convince his uncle to let him do what he wanted to do.

"And so you should remain. You are not an active agent. You are not to act like one. The Blade of Marmora is not the Empire. We do not use children as our operatives."

"I'm not a child." Too late, Ulaz realized what he'd done. He'd said what a child would say.

"Enough. I've made myself clear." Ulaz could tell from his tone of voice that Kolivan would not be moved. "Ulaz. Be well." Kolivan leaned down to press the side of his cheek against the top of Ulaz's head, and no matter how affectionate the gesture was, Ulaz could tell he'd been dismissed. 

Sneaking back onto school grounds was enough of an adventure to require all Ulaz's attention, but once he returned to his room, his uncle's words resurfaced in his thoughts. Ulaz had no doubt that his uncle wanted what was best for him, but he and his uncle didn't necessarily agree on what constituted best. Technically, Ulaz was a member of the Blade of Marmora, so why couldn't he act as one? There was so much he could do for the Blade already, here. He was tired of limiting his actions to passively collecting information he heard from the staff and other students.

Ulaz tried to study. He struggled to focus on the equations he was supposed to complete, but there were too many distractions, and he abandoned the effort. Not only did he have his uncle's caution and his own discontent to contend with, but he was waiting for Thace. Thace had left their room before Ulaz had gone on his mission to meet with Uncle Kolivan, and he had not yet returned.

Counselor Tervek, the school's highest authority, had summoned Thace to his office that morning. Neither Ulaz nor Thace had been able to guess the reason for the summons. Every unknown was a possible threat. Ulaz couldn't think of a disciplinary reason his friend would have been called to the office. Thace was a superb student. His behavior had been beyond reproach since his arrival at the Foundation for Children of the Empire, years ago. Unless the administration had realized that they were both affiliated with a secret organization— No, that wasn't possible. They'd been so careful. They'd gone undetected for years. Then what was Thace doing?

Wondering was no good. Ulaz would have to take action to uncover the truth, if he couldn't put the matter out of his head and wait. Never one to choose waiting, Ulaz rose to his feet, to see what he could find out for himself. As he approached the door, it slid open, revealing Thace on the other side. Ulaz didn't realize the height his nerves had reached until relief washed over him. Ulaz's equations were entirely forgotten. He could only stare at his friend. Sometimes, it was difficult to think of anything but Thace.

"Thace! You're back. Why did Tervek want to see you?" 

"Give me a chance to tell you." Thace laughed. "It's good news. The Counselor made me his Adjutant."

It would be honor and not shame that had brought Thace to the office. Calm, sensible Thace. He had a way of inspiring respect without sowing resentment. Even when he won honors, he was rarely seen as competition, perhaps because he was quiet and unassuming—a rarity here, among the Galra children who competed fiercely for influence that wouldn't be granted by prestigious relatives.

Serving as the Counselor's Adjutant was one of the most desirable honors granted to students at the Foundation. It was little more than a glorified assistant job that came with minor authority over other students, but it was given to the most accomplished and trusted scholars. Earning such a title would be invaluable for anyone who wanted to become an officer. 

"Thace, this is perfect." It was what Ulaz had been waiting for. What they had been waiting for.

"Yes, I'll probably be directly recruited into the officers corps after I graduate."

"No—I mean, yes, that's true, but it wasn't what I meant." Memories of Uncle Kolivan's warnings warred with Ulaz's own ideas, while thoughts of Thace buzzed in his head and distracted him from both. Ulaz lowered his voice, leaning in close to minimize any chance that they'd be overheard. "With an Adjutant's access, we can hack into the Counselor's computer."

Thace looked at him. He looked at Thace. Ulaz was aware of an overwhelming heat creeping across his skin, accompanied by a desire to close the short distance between them and press his face against Thace's fur. Instead, he backed away. 

Thace was frowning slightly. "Are you sure that's a good idea?" Thace knew as well as he did that they weren't on active duty with the Blade. They were supposed to avoid all suspicion, so that after graduation, they would be accepted into the Empire's forces without question. Their mission was to infiltrate the military and work for the Blade from within. They couldn't jeopardize that.

As concerned as Thace appeared, Ulaz detected a trace of hope and interest in his expression. Thace was eager to do meaningful work, too. They'd discussed the matter several times, in private and in low voices—as they were speaking now. "I'm sure. Uncle didn't know this was going to happen when he told us not to do anything. It's such a good opportunity, we can't pass it up."

Thace finally nodded. Ulaz, who could feel the warmth of his answering pleasure all the way to the tips of his ears, knew he'd made the right decision. If they had the means to help the Blade, why should they wait? 

"What did your uncle say when you asked him for missions?"

Ulaz had told Thace what he'd planned to ask Kolivan. He told Thace almost everything. "He said he'd think about it." This wasn't untrue. Kolivan's words had indicated that he had thought about what Ulaz had said a great deal, and would continue to do so. No matter what Kolivan had said, it wouldn't go any harm to do a little independent infiltration of their own.

That infiltration could only occur in bursts. Ulaz and Thace spent many breathless moments in the office while Counselor Tervek was elsewhere and Thace was supposedly busy with his duties. Adjutant wasn't a team job, but if discovered, Ulaz had more than enough excuses for coming to visit Thace. The Counselor's computer wasn't easy to infiltrate, but when Thace and Ulaz combined their technical skills, they were formidable. Thace had his diligent and careful decrypting, and Ulaz had an intuitive ability to anticipate the coding of imperial technicians.

Ulaz disliked Tervek's office. The counselor had no less than four commemorative Emperor Zarkon holograms on display, one of them in each corner of the room. No matter which way Ulaz turned, he saw the emperor drawing himself up to his full height or brandishing his bayard. Ulaz ignored Zarkon, focusing on the computer as intently as he could. His dislike of Zarkon helped him work. "Thace... what's this?" Ulaz frowned at a three-dimensional image of a globe as it appeared on the screen, marked with words and symbols. 

"A map of the planet, isn't it?" Thace leaned in closer. The map glowed, as red as the surface of the planet itself.

Ulaz's heart was beating hard, partly because of the thrill of subterfuge, and partly because Thace was so close to him. "Yes, but, what's this?" Ulaz pointed a claw at the screen. It showed, as Thace had said, a familiar image of the planet they were on, but Ulaz noted a small but significant aspect that he had seen on no other depictions of the planet. The border of the inhabitable zone was different. It dipped much farther southward in one sector than on any map Ulaz had seen before. That small strip of land was depicted here as slightly darker in hue than the rest of the habitable zone. It jutted out distinctly, like a finger pointing toward the south pole. This anomaly had to mean something. If it didn't, why wasn't it included on all the maps? They had only found this one by peeling away several layers of security.

Ulaz could tell by the pensive look on Thace's face that he was going through a similar thought process. "That—I don't know. Could there be something there?" 

"My uncle surveyed the planet. He says there are no structures outside of the Foundation grounds."

Thace glanced up at the softly glowing monitors that lined one wall of the office. They displayed live feeds from various security cameras on campus. Ulaz looked too. He saw a tall, distinctive shape float across one of the monitors. Counselor Tervek. He was heading toward the office. Even though Ulaz wouldn't be punished for being here if he used one of his stock excuses, it was better not to be caught, in case his presence struck Tervek as suspicious later. Ulaz hurried out, leaving Thace to hide the traces of their espionage: one of his many skills.

Back in their room, Ulaz had no shortage of work to do. Now that he was done hacking into officials' computers, he could have worked on one of his science experiments or studied for the exams which were steadily approaching. He could have dreamed up new ways to defy the empire's security programmers or planned strategies for the tournament that marked the end of the academic year. Instead, he collapsed on his narrow bed. As he gazed up at the ceiling, he pictured the glowing reddish globe again, and that projecting, mysterious point of land where the air could still be breathed and the gravity was bearable. What could it be?

Whatever it was, only Thace had access to it now. Thace—instead of any map, Ulaz envisioned his friend's face: the purple of his fur, the brightness of his eyes, and the sharp angles of his face. What would it be like to press his cheek to Thace's? He wasn't planning to try. Relationships of that kind were forbidden between students. They were deemed distracting and undignified, and he and Thace had more important concerns—

—and he'd allowed himself to be distracted. In a matter of moments, as he'd contemplated Thace's features, he'd forgotten about their discovery of the map. What kind of operative was he? He wasn't going to discover anything with that kind of attention span. If he was going to become a Blade that Uncle Kolivan would be proud to work with, he had to focus. While Thace was important, he couldn't think about him constantly. Ulaz closed his eyes and sought a warrior's pure mind, both empty and brimming at the same time.

Unfortunately, a warrior's thoughts made him remember sparring with Thace, which led to another series of thoughts, which ended altogether when Thace himself rushed into the room and announced, "I know!"

Ulaz sat up in bed, his thoughts once more veering in a new direction. "What?"

"Tervek didn't return to the office right away. He'd called a meeting about the tournament, and I had more time to analyze the map data. There is another habitable area, but whatever's there is underground. That's why your uncle never saw it."

"Underground?" It was hard not to assume that there must be an installation there. A secret military installation—exactly the kind of discovery Ulaz had wanted to make. "We need to know more."

They needed to work more. They needed more clandestine meetings in and out of the Counselor's office, and subsequently, less sleep. Quintants and movements passed. Ulaz didn't regret a single varga, even as exams and the tournament approached and he hadn't prepared for either nearly as much as he ordinarily would have.

Exams didn't matter. Not only was he able to work intimately with Thace, but he was doing the kind of work he wanted to do. The danger was that, the more time they spent in system, the greater the chance that their efforts would be detected. The empire was wrong, but it was ruthless and efficient. Ulaz suspected they had only been able to uncover as much as they had because they were moving within the clearance of a minor functionary. The security wasn't comparable to what they'd find on a device in a military installation. Tervek wouldn't have access to major battle plans, but he might have schematics for a structure on the planet. He probably did have them, but for all their efforts, they still couldn't access that information. 

Ulaz had grown accustomed to Tervek's Zarkon holograms. One day, he started to play with a Zarkon idly, moving his fingers through the light that made up the emperor's body and creating the illusion that he was chopping off his head. He stopped when he realized Thace hadn't spoken for a while.

Thace was staring at him. "The holograms. If we filter the light—"

There was no one Tervek loved and trusted more than Zarkon. If he wanted to protect his data, then where else—? Holograms could contain hidden images. Codes. Passwords. "There must be a way. Something that would alter the frequency—"

"Tervek's laser." Like many of the staff, the Counselor had a laser tool, which had a variety of uses, some of which related to security—such as opening doors and scanning for anomalies. 

It was possible, and Ulaz was impressed anew by Thace's cleverness. "Can you get it?"

"If anyone can, it's the Adjutant."

The Adjutant did exactly that. Thace, due to his frequent closeness to Tervek, was able to spirit the laser away for a short time. Ulaz and Thace stood together, breathless, as Thace bathed the holograms in the laser's red glow. A long stream of digits appeared, embedded in the bodies of the Zarkons. They were able to pass through the next layer of encryption and discover the details of the structure hidden beneath the surface of the planet. It was—

"A prison," said Ulaz, regarding the stolen data in wonder. Nothing else explained that structure, those automated defenses. What was strange was that there were so few cells. That meant there could be only one or two prisoners present at a time, which suggested to Ulaz that it was for high level captives. Ulaz had heard about prisons like this before. Nothing he had heard had been good.

"Its security must be its secrecy," said Thace. "Because it's not heavily armed or armored, it wouldn't show up on scans from the atmosphere. There's nothing to scan for. We might be the only members of the Blade who know about it. There are probably only a few people in the empire who do. We should tell your uncle as soon as possible."

"We should," Ulaz agreed, "but first, we need to investigate."

"Ulaz, it's a big risk."

Thace had captured the data on his device, where he was keeping it stored temporarily. Another risk, but a necessary one. Their time at Tervek's terminal was limited. Ulaz scrolled down until he reached a puzzling string of numbers and dates. "Look at these numbers. Each of them is attached to a span of time. But the dates don't overlap."

Thace was frowning. "Do you think that means—"

Knowing what they both did, Ulaz was sure he and Thace were arriving at the same conclusion. "The numbers could represent people being held there."

"What do you think they do with them after the time's up?"

They looked at each other. They knew the answer, without needing to say it aloud.

Ulaz and Thace were able to identify unique codes that might have corresponded to individual prisoners. There was a series of variables associated with each individual. They couldn't figure all of them out, but Thace was able to translate a few: intake, level of interrogation, and termination date.

Almost all of those termination dates were in the past, but one was in the near future, soon after the school's annual tournament. Did that mean that there was a prisoner being held and tortured, right now, under the surface of this planet? The thought made the Foundation seem grimmer than usual. If that was the case, they had to act. It was their responsibility. They were Blades.

The only day that presented enough of a distraction to cover for their sneaking away was the day of the tournament. Students from institutions throughout this galaxy and its neighbors were transported to the planet to take part in the fighting, and former students returned to watch the competition and join the festivities. 

Before they set out, Thace asked, not for the first time. "Are you still sure we shouldn't tell your uncle?"

"I'll send him a message." Now that they were on the verge of the mission, Ulaz was nervous, not that he wanted to admit that. "In case he needs to know what happened." Ulaz didn't say why Kolivan might need to know, and Thace didn't ask, keeping silent as Ulaz used his communicator to send Kolivan a coded message.

It was the morning of the tournament. The sky was hazy, and the haze sank so low that it provided them with some extra cover as they crept across the rocky terrain. Their plan was simple and direct. They had memorized the plans of the prison and identified a conduit that might allow them to enter the facility. The conduit could be accessed by code, since it was meant for supply drops. Tervek had had access to the code. They weren't necessarily intending to enter the prison, since it was a recon mission, but it was important to see if the reality matched the data.

Thace, as the Counselor's Adjutant, had some say in the organization of the tournament schedule, so that there was a large span of time between the bouts that Thace and Ulaz were to participate in. They would have a few vargas in which to make their way the secret area of the habitable zone and reach the conduit. 

It wasn't long before their plans changed. As they neared the prison, they spied a figure moving toward them through the haze. Ulaz grabbed Thace's wrist and pulled him behind a rock outcropping, both of them breathing fast. Ulaz could smell a sharpness that he identified as Thace's fear.

Whoever it was, they were coming from the direction of the prison. "Is that the commandant?" Thace whispered.

They had determined that the prison had to have at least one officer posted—who else would be doing the interrogating? What they had not expected was that they would encounter that person out here. Had they been discovered? As the stranger approached, they huddled against the rock and kept quiet. When she was just on the other side of their rock, they could hear her speaking into a communicator. "—be there soon. Oh no, it's not a problem. I can leave my post for a varga or two. It's not as if anything ever happens out here. I'm not going to miss the tournament again. " She was so close. Ulaz held his breath. She moved on.

Ulaz and Thace shared one of their wordless, understanding glances. Luck was with them, and it stayed with them. They made it to the prison without incident, found the access point, and used the code to open the conduit. 

That was how they ended up standing at the edge of the darkness, gazing down into the dark supply conduit. The prison was open to them. It was likely that it was unattended. Although they couldn't be entirely sure of that, they were as close to sure as they could come. "We'll never have a chance like this again," said Ulaz. They weren't supposed to be there. Neither the Blades nor the Empire wanted that, but they were the only ones who could do what they were about to do—

—so they jumped.

Though they hadn't been able to see the bottom from above, it was a short fall. Ulaz was winded, but unhurt. He reached out and took Thace's hand in the darkness. Actually being within the prison was a universe away from looking at a map of it. It was much more dark and cold and unknown. Although he kept his grip on Thace's hand, with his other arm he reached back over his shoulder, touching the hilt of the blade that was strapped there. The contact with Thace and with his weapon comforted him, so he felt better able to move forward into the dark.

The conduit was narrow. It snaked to the right and then the left. They had to stop more than once to enter in more codes, as this entrance hadn't been neglected by the security system. Ulaz could only hope that their information was complete enough, and that they had been informed of all the alarms and traps. They walked so softly on the flat conduit floor that the only sound Ulaz heard was Thace's soft breathing beside him. After what felt like an age, they arrived at the hatch leading to the prison proper. Wordlessly, Ulaz took out the tool kit he'd brought with him. Together, he and Thace worked on the sides of the hatch, illuminating their work with a slim, portable light. The mechanism that opened the hatch was stubborn, but after an excruciatingly long wait, it popped open with a hiss, and Ulaz slipped through, with Thace right behind him.

The prison lights were dim, and it was utterly silent except for a faint mechanical hum that mostly served to emphasize how quiet it was. Ulaz was still for a moment, initially unsure which way to go in spite of his hours spent studying the maps. "This way," said Thace. Ulaz trusted his judgment, so he followed. He reached out and took Thace's hand again, although operatives weren't supposed to hold hands while on a mission.

They were farther into the prison than Ulaz had thought they'd go, and according to their research, there was a prisoner held somewhere inside—likely very close to them at this moment. Would it have been right to go back and leave that person behind? Thace must have had similar thoughts, because he didn't suggest that they retreat. They went forward, keeping to the side of the hall. They hadn't been able to find out the specific details of prison staffing, so they couldn't be sure that there wasn't a second officer stationed here.

They knew enough to take them through the small complex to a reinforced metal door. This was the room they had determined was the most likely to be the prisoner's cell. "What do we do now?" Thace asked.

"Disable the power grid?" asked Ulaz.

"But we need power to open the door."

True. The lack of power might disable any alarm on the door, but it would do nothing to move the heavy slab of metal. "Then we have to hack into the system." While Ulaz was confident in his hacking skills, a military prison terminal would be much more secure than a school official's computer. He and Thace glanced at each other, hesitating. They were informed enough to know the risks, but they knew that the upcoming date they had deciphered was likely the prisoner's last day.

"The central terminal isn't far," said Thace. 

They had already spent more than a varga slowly infiltrating the prison. Their time was limited, yet they only needed to open the cell door. After that, they could escape and leave through the conduit. That is, assuming that they were right about where the prisoner was, and that the prisoner would be well enough to leave with them. Also assuming that they didn't trip any alarms. Ulaz was assuming a lot, because he had to. He glanced at Thace. What if something happened to him? The thought of him being hurt caused Ulaz pain. A Blade on a mission should be immune to that kind of fear, but he couldn't push it away. They still had time to leave now, but Ulaz wanted to be brave enough for Thace. He wanted them to succeed together.

The central terminal's screen glowed purple. Thace took position at the controls, with Ulaz at his shoulder. "It looks similar—," said Thace. "All right. I'm in." His fingers moved across the console. He paused only to ask Ulaz for input when he was uncertain. "There!" There was a firm, metallic noise from farther down the corridor.

Then, everything that had gone so right went so wrong, so quickly. Alarms blared. The lights went out, leaving them in darkness except for thin lines of flashing red emergency light along the edges of the floor. "I'm sorry. I made a mistake," said Thace, a frantic note in his voice.

"It was my fault," said Ulaz. "We shouldn't have come so far." He grabbed Thace's hand again. The chances of them escaping undetected now were slim, but they had to try. In case they didn't survive, Ulaz leaned forward, pressing his cheek to Thace's cheek. His fur was soft. Ulaz licked at it briefly, affectionately.

"Ulaz—"

"Let's go!"

They rushed forward together. They could hardly see, but as they rounded a corner Ulaz was aware of a large presence blocking the hall in front of them. There was a flash of light. Then, he wasn't aware of anything at all.

Some time later, he heard a voice, calling out. "Ulaz. Thace—wake up."

Ulaz opened his eyes. A large face hovered above him. "Uncle—?"

Not far from the first face was a second, equally large face, which he also recognized. It was his uncle's husband, but why was he here? "Antok?" Ulaz asked. Antok was more haggard and scarred than he'd been the last time Ulaz had seen him, but he was smiling, meaning that his jaw was not set as severely as usual. "Where's Thace?" Ulaz asked.

"If you'll sit up, you'll see he's right here," said Kolivan. "Can you sit up?"

Ulaz did so immediately. He was sore, but he could still move.

"You children are going to put an end to me," said Kolivan.

"Your hair used to be blue," Antok agreed.

"That isn't true," Kolivan told Ulaz, " but if I'd had blue hair, you would have turned it white. Now, explain yourself."

Haltingly, Ulaz told the story, feeling stronger when Thace sat up and joined in the telling. Kolivan listened gravely until they were finished. "You were both very foolish and very fortunate. You did manage to open the prisoner's cell, but you also set off the alarm, and the security system sent out an energy pulse that stunned you. If Antok hadn't found you, your adventure would have ended very differently."

Kolivan had turned to regard Antok fondly.

"You were the prisoner?" Ulaz asked.

Antok inclined his head. "The same."

"Then we saved you!"

"Yes, you did," said Kolivan, "but your rashness nearly killed him. I had to intervene. As I was on my way to the planet to attend the tournament when I received your message, I managed to rendezvous with Antok and hide him in my ship. I was able to cover for you when your Counselor came looking for you. You fell ill, if anyone asks. The planet is also now crawling with soldiers, but I've taken steps, and we should remain undetected."

"We saved him," Thace and Ulaz said in unison, smiling at each other.

Kolivan huffed. "You acted without my permission, and you're fortunate to be alive. Never do anything like that again."

"Yes, Uncle."

"Although—maybe it is time we give you two a more active mission."

"Really?" Ulaz reached out to grip Thace's hand again.

"If I promise that I will work on finding a fitting task for you to carry out, do you promise not to do anything so foolish again?"

"We promise." Ulaz and Thace spoke in unison again.

Kolivan sighed. Antok nuzzled him, and he sighed again. "Until then, be careful. No more breaking into computers or prisons. And no breaking your promises."

Ulaz glanced at Thace's hand in his. He remembered pressing his face against his friend's cheek in the darkness of the prison, and he felt uncomfortably warm again. Was Thace thinking about that, too? If so, what was he thinking about it? Had he liked it? 

"Ulaz, did you hear what I said?"

"Yes, Uncle," said Ulaz, but he was barely listening.


End file.
